A CATHOLIC priest with “an unhealthy interest in adolescent boys” was locked up for five years.

Father Peter Hooper, the parish priest at St Luke's the Physician, in Bebington, was caught performing a sex act on an underage boy in the diocesan house where he lived.

The 55-year-old pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual activity with a child. At yesterday’s sentencing hearing he was supported at Liverpool Crown Court by more than a dozen parishioners and two priests.

Robert Jansen, prosecuting, told the court a social gathering at the diocesan house, in Church Road, Bebington, was winding down when Hooper was caught out.

He said: "There was a gentleman called Matthew Howard, who at the time was living at this defendant's address, and had been for some years.

"As the social gathering was coming to an end...Mr Howard had cause to walk past the kitchen window and look inside.”

The lawyer said Mr Howard saw the boy and the priest perform a sex act on each other.

He added: "Whilst looking through the window it seems the defendant saw Mr Howard who simply shook his head in disbelief at what he had seen going on. It seems afterwards Mr Howard asked the defendant what he was playing at.

"The defendant replied to Mr Howard ‘I don't know what to do. I've been seduced by a 15-year-old boy’."

Mr Jansen said Hooper was arrested and admitted carrying out sex acts on the boy though he said they did not have full sex – this was accepted.

He told detectives the boy made sexual advances, wanted to explore sexually from an early age and was 'manipulative'.

He said he felt “mentally raped” by the teenager.

The boy, who cannot be named, was interviewed and said he met Hooper through a band he was in made up entirely of priests.

The pair grew close after he told Hooper, a trained counsellor, about problems he was facing in his life.

He said at one stage he went to hug the priest who then kissed him on the cheek and then moved to kiss him on the mouth.

The sexual contact followed in the boy's family home and then later at the diocese house.

He described Hooper as a “father figure” adding: “I don’t hate Father Hooper. Part of me wants to forgive him.”

Gerald Pachter defending, said his client accepted “100% responsibility” for what happened adding: “He feels great shame at the damage he has caused the church.”

He said: “Through me he wishes to express his full sincere and profound apologies for his criminal behaviour.

“He admits he is homosexual. Since his twenties he has tried to repress it because of his faith but he has failed.”

Mr Pachter added: “He is very well thought of. That is clear from the turn out today and the many references from clergymen, parishioners and friends.”

He said Hooper was now the subject of daily verbal abuse by fellow prisoners and had been attacked in the prison chapel.

But Judge David Aubrey QC said: "You have betrayed your religion, you have betrayed your church, you have betrayed your parishioners.

"More significantly you have betrayed your victim who was just 14 and 15 years of age and vulnerable and in truth he was in your care while in your home and you were in his.

"You have also betrayed his mother. They are both devout Roman Catholics who are now in consequence of that which you have done challenging the church.

"In my judgement you have an unhealthy interest in adolescent boys as this case has demonstrated.

"You have failed in your responsibilities and duties as a Catholic priest. You have abused and failed everybody who has placed their trust in you.

"You knew when you crossed the boundary. You wished to cross the boundary. Your actions were a gross breach of trust.

"You have fallen from grace and lost your ministry. The offences are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is justified for them."

He jailed Hooper for five years – of which he must serve half less 37 days spent on remand.

Judge Aubrey ordered him to sign on the sex offenders register, made a sexual offences prevention order and banned him from working with children.

Bespectacled Hooper, wearing a red polo shirt and grey jumper, signalled to supporters as he was taken to jail.

After the sentencing The Rt Rev. Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury, said: “I wish to express today both the sorrow and the horror felt within the Catholic community at these offences and the betrayal of trust involved.

“There can be no place in the priesthood for those who harm the young.”

Hooper was appointed priest at St Luke’s in 2006 after leaving St Werburgh’s, in Chester.